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The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report Released

Submitted by admin on Fri, 03/08/2013 - 00:00

Strategies Highlighted to Increase Physical Activity Among Youth

Today, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, & Nutrition (PCFSN) released the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Youth. The original Physical Activity Guidelines were issued in 2008, and the midcourse review was intended to provide an opportunity for a panel of experts to review and highlight a specific topic of importance- in this case, physical activity among youth- and provide recommendations for next steps in implementing these strategies and opportunities for further research.

The report was announced by the First Lady, Michelle Obama, at the Partnership for a Healthier America Summit in Washington, D.C. Many NCPPA Board member organizations attended the summit, and several NCPPA Federal Advisory Panel members, including individual representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, were directly involved in the review process.

The report identified a variety of settings that provide a child the realistic opportunity to achieve the goal of physical activity for “60 minutes or more a day, where kids live, learn and play”. The report focused on five settings in which physical activity for youth has been studied: schools, preschool and childcare centers, community, family and home, and primary care. Key findings of the report were as follows:

School settings hold a realistic and evidence-based opportunity to increase physical activity among youth and should be a key part of a national strategy to increase physical activity;

Preschool and Childcare Centers that serve young children are an important setting in which to enhance physical activity;

Changes involving the Built Environment and multiple sectors are promising; and

To advance efforts to increase physical activity among youth, key research gaps should be addressed.

“The strategies outlined in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report are an important step in engaging national, state, and local stakeholders to rally around these interventions which are proven to combat inactivity among our children,” said Scott Goudeseune, President of NCPPA. “Schools, communities, and families all play an important part in a child’s development, including physical development, and we must work together to provide our children with safe spaces, structured programs, and health education around physical activity.”

“The Midcourse Report is an important benchmark to ensure that the physical activity community is staying on top of the current science and providing the best possible evidence-based recommendations to the public,” said Goudeseune. “NCPPA is looking forward to working with Congress to pass legislation that would ensure the Physical Activity Guidelines are widely adopted and regularly updated to reflect the physical activity needs and circumstances of our nation’s youth.”

NCPPA is the nation’s leading alliance promoting physical activity and fitness initiatives. The coalition is a diverse blend of associations, health organizations, and private corporations, advocating for policies that encourage Americans of all ages to become more physically active.

NCPPA Member Organizations

American Council on Exercise │ American Heart Association │ International Health, Racquet, and Sports club Association │ National Council on Strength & Fitness │ American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance │ American Cancer Society │ American College of Sports Medicine │ IDEA Health and Fitness Association │ MEND Foundation │ National Athletic Trainers' Association │ National Academy of Sports Medicine │ SPRI Products │ United States Tennis Association │ YMCA of the USA